Snow, II (Crown Vic)

Torrington, Connecticut

You can get specialty plates in Connecticut that say "Early American" if the vehicle is over 15 years old. This can be pretty amusing when the car is in fact a VW, or you stop to consider how many automobiles were around in Colonial Days. No matter, the owner of this venerable behemoth is happy with a plain license plate. Cars this old are common at antique car meets and rallies, but I did a double take to see this one waiting for the traffic light on North Main Street. A bit of snow clinging to the door, a bit of rust coming through the rear quarter panel. This looks virtually the same as a Country Squire or Crown Victoria wagon did when I was a teenager in the 1960s: several of my friends' families had one of these. This one is likely a decade or even two younger than that—the basic body style remained around for a remarkably long time. I'm sure a car aficionado could date it at a glance.